News

Large crowds of demonstrators have taken to the streets in Tehran and other Iranian cities in what observers describe as the strongest show of opposition to the clerical leadership in years, according to verified videos circulating online.

Footage showed peaceful marches on December 8 evening in the capital and in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city. Security forces did not immediately disperse the gatherings. Later, monitoring groups reported a nationwide shutdown of internet services.

Calls for Political Change

Chants captured in the videos included demands for the removal of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and slogans supporting Reza...

Abdukodir Khusanov, a defender for the Uzbekistan national football team and Manchester City, has been named Asia’s Best Young Footballer of 2025, capping a breakthrough year for the 21-year-old.

Khusanov became the first Uzbek player to debut in the English Premier League after joining Manchester City in January and has since made nine appearances for the reigning English champions. His rise has also been marked by international success, playing a key role as Uzbekistan secured historic qualification for the FIFA World Cup.

The award places Khusanov ahead of leading young talents from across Asia, while his growing reputation...

A nationwide series of regional anti-corruption trainings supported by the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has concluded in Uzbekistan, strengthening local capacity to prevent and combat corruption.

The programme covered all 14 regions of the country, including the Republic of Karakalpakstan, and involved 501 representatives responsible for implementing anti-corruption policy at the regional level. The trainings focused on enhancing the role of territorial anti-corruption councils as coordination platforms and developing region-specific recommendations and action plans.

Participants examined international and national anti-corruption standards, including the UN Convention against Corruption and ISO 37001 anti-bribery systems, alongside...

Uzbekistan’s Shohjahon Ergashev will face Kazakhstan’s Batyrzhan Jukembayev in a junior welterweight clash on May 9 in Tashkent.

The all-Central Asian bout will take place at the Humo Arena, with the fight confirmed by All Stars Entertainment. Both fighters are 34-year-old southpaws known for their power and strong amateur backgrounds.

Ergashev (25–2, 22 KOs) is looking to regain momentum after mixed results since his IBF title loss to Subriel Matias in 2023. Jukembayev (24–1, 17 KOs), meanwhile, enters the contest on a six-fight winning streak following his own stoppage defeat to Matias in 2021.

With both men seeking...

Pop star Katy Perry has shown she remains on good terms with her former partner Orlando Bloom, after tagging him in a festive Instagram photo dump that also featured her new boyfriend, Justin Trudeau.

In the post, captioned «Holidaze», Perry gave fans a glimpse into her holiday celebrations, including cosy moments with Trudeau — such as a snap of her kissing him on the cheek — as well as family time spent with Bloom and their five-year-old daughter, Daisy.

Perry shared images from a Christmas dinner attended by herself, Bloom, Daisy and Bloom’s son Flynn, alongside a photo...

Despite growing fears of an artificial intelligence bubble, companies at Consumer Electronics Show 2026 in Las Vegas are pressing ahead, showcasing AI applications focused firmly on real-world use rather than chatbots and image generators.

Tech giants including Samsung, LG and Bosch demonstrated AI systems designed for everyday tasks, from washing machines that automatically select programmes to humanoid robots that fold laundry and smart hobs that cook food with precision.

Mobility was also in focus, with Nvidia chief Jensen Huang outlining plans to use AI to help power future robotaxi fleets. Industrial applications featured heavily, as Siemens showcased virtual...

Actor Sadie Sink has revealed that online fan speculation accurately predicted her casting in the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day — even before Marvel Studios officially approached her.

Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Sink said she first learned of the rumours online, calling it «torture» to keep her role secret. She explained that fans had begun claiming she would appear in the next Spider-Man film days before she was offered the part.

Sink’s role remains undisclosed, though speculation has centred on her playing Jean Grey from the X-Men franchise. The actor previously said the rumours...

Protests sweeping across Iran have raised fresh questions over the stability of the Islamic Republic, with an insider source warning the ruling establishment could face collapse «within weeks» if security forces fracture.

Demonstrations have erupted nationwide amid soaring inflation, fuel price hikes and the sharp fall of Iran’s rial, now trading at more than 1.4 million to the US dollar. Economic pressure has mounted since the United Nations reimposed sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear programme, while the country is still absorbing the cost of a brief war with Israel earlier this year.

At least 38 people have been killed...

Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro appeared in a New York courtroom this week after being indicted by US prosecutors on charges of large-scale drug trafficking, allegations he strongly denies.

According to the United States Department of Justice, Maduro abused his public offices for more than two decades to facilitate the transport of thousands of tonnes of cocaine to the United States and Europe. Prosecutors allege he led the so-called «Cartel of the Suns», a network involving senior military and government officials.

The indictment links Maduro to a series of major cocaine shipments, including a 2013 seizure of 1.3 tonnes...

Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have reported a major advance in nuclear fusion research, after their experimental reactor achieved plasma density levels once thought impossible.

The breakthrough was made on CAS’s so-called «artificial Sun», the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), where researchers successfully stabilised ultra-dense plasma beyond the long-standing Greenwald Limit, a theoretical barrier that has constrained fusion performance for decades.

Using a new method known as plasma-wall self-organisation, the team was able to prevent the plasma from becoming unstable even at unprecedented density levels. According to the researchers, this opens the door to significantly...

Manchester City are set to complete the signing of Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo in a deal worth more than his £60mln release clause.

The 26-year-old made his farewell appearance for AFC Bournemouth on Wednesday, scoring a stoppage-time winner against Tottenham Hotspur at the Vitality Stadium. Semenyo is now expected in Manchester to undergo a medical ahead of his move to the Etihad Stadium.

While Semenyo’s contract includes a £60mln buyout clause plus £5mln in bonuses, City’s overall package will total £62.5mln spread over two years. The agreement includes £1.5mln in add-ons and a 10 per cent sell-on clause...

Netflix has revealed a list of television series set to premiere in 2026, signalling a strategy focused on extending proven franchises while introducing large-scale adaptations of classic works.

The platform will open the year with two instalments of the fourth season of Bridgerton, scheduled for release in late January and February. The new season will centre on the romance of Benedict Bridgerton.

In March, the live-action adventure series One Piece will return with its second season, titled Into the Grand Line. The new chapters will follow Luffy and his crew as they encounter fresh islands and new adversaries, with...

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has issued a sharp rebuke of US foreign policy under President Donald Trump. He warned that the international system risks descending into lawlessness if countries fail to defend shared rules and values.

In unusually direct remarks, Steinmeier said democracy worldwide is under greater threat than ever before, in comments that appeared to reference recent developments such as the removal of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro. While the German presidency is largely ceremonial, Steinmeier’s position allows him greater freedom to speak out on global issues.

He described Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its full-scale invasion of...

Uzbekistan is among the countries where Russia plans to significantly increase natural gas supplies by 2030, according to information cited by journalist Oleg Chervinsky.

Gas deliveries to Uzbekistan are expected to rise from 5.6 bn cubic metres to 12 bn cubic metres a year. Supplies to Kazakhstan could increase from 3 bn to between 6 and 7 bn cubic metres annually, while exports to Kyrgyzstan may grow from 0.5 bn to 1 bn cubic metres.

According to forecasts by Gazprombank’s Economic Forecasting Centre, Russia’s gas exports to Central Asia could reach 19 to 20 bn cubic metres a year by...

Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov said in an interview that Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev played a crucial role in resolving the conflict on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border.

According to Japarov, Mirziyoyev’s position and active involvement helped Bishkek and Dushanbe end hostilities and begin direct negotiations. Earlier, Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev cited Mirziyoyev’s warning that ongoing conflicts discourage investors and tourists.

«If conflict continues in the region, neither investors nor tourists will come. And since all our countries’ names end with ‘-stan’, people assume we are all the same,» Kulubaev said.

Border clashes between Kyrgyzstan and...

American investor Jim Rogers has sold all his Russian holdings and invested in shares of Uzbek companies, he told RBC Investments in an interview.

Rogers said that by the end of 2025 he had purchased almost all publicly available shares in Uzbekistan, focusing exclusively on corporate stocks rather than sovereign debt. The investments span the banking, oil and gas, telecommunications and other sectors.

He has not hedged against currency risks and expressed a positive outlook for the Uzbek soum.

Rogers, co-founder of the Quantum Fund with George Soros, is known for his long-term bets on macroeconomic trends and commodities...

Timur Aliyev has been appointed head of WB Taxi in Uzbekistan, the company announced through its press service. He previously oversaw Yandex Go operations in the country.

In his new role, Aliyev will be responsible for building a sustainable business model and developing relationships with partners, drivers and fleet operators, the company said.

WB Taxi was launched in Tashkent in December 2025 by Wildberries. The service is accessible via Android and iOS apps, with new users able to register either through invitations from existing customers or directly through the app. The platform is also currently being tested in Belarus.

French farmers staged road blockades in Paris on Thursday to oppose a European Union trade agreement with South American countries and raise local grievances. The demonstrations, organised by the Coordination Rurale union, were driven by fears that the Mercosur deal could increase imports of cheap food and by concerns over the government’s response to a cattle disease.

Stephane Pelletier, deputy president of the union in Vienne, central France, said farmers felt abandoned.

«We are between resentment and despair. We have a feeling of abandonment, like with Mercosur. We have been abandoned in favour of a...

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States will withdraw from dozens of international and U.N. entities. This includes the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and UN Women, claiming they operate against U.S. national interests.

The memo lists 35 non-U.N. groups and 31 U.N. bodies. Among them is the UNFCCC, the main climate treaty linked to the 2015 Paris agreement. The United States did not attend last year’s annual U.N. climate summit, the first absence in three decades.

Trump’s administration will also quit the U.N. Population Fund, which supports family planning and maternal and child...

Around 1,500 Indian citizens in Uzbekistan have been unable to return home and have staged protests over unpaid salaries, according to Odishatv.

The workers say they have not received their promised wages for nearly four months. For the past five days, they have protested outside the offices of Enter Engineering, demanding the company honour their contracts. Employees also reported a lack of funds for food and worsening conditions in the company’s worker camps.

The company reportedly offered to send some workers back to India but has not cleared outstanding payments. Around 600 of the affected workers come from Ganjam...

Disney has restarted work on its live-action adaptation of Tangled, casting Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim in the lead roles of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider.

The project is based on the 2010 animated hit about a princess with magically long hair who escapes captivity with the help of a charming outlaw. The original film featured the voices of Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, earned more than $591 mln worldwide and led to a short film sequel and a Disney Channel television series.

Michael Gracey, best known for directing The Greatest Showman, is set to direct the live-action version. The screenplay...

The United States seized two oil tankers linked to Venezuela in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday. They include one tanker sailing under Russian flag, as Washington intensified efforts to control oil shipments connected to Caracas.

The move followed the recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a U.S. military operation and marked a further escalation in enforcement against vessels operating under sanctions.

Sanctions enforcement

U.S. officials said a weeks-long pursuit ended when the Coast Guard and U.S. special forces boarded the Marinera crude tanker after it refused inspection last month and later reflagged under Russia’s registry...

Iran’s army chief has warned that Tehran could take pre-emptive military action in response to what it views as escalating threats from abroad, as mass protests driven by economic hardship continue across the country.

Major General Amir Hatami said the Islamic Republic would not tolerate «rhetoric» targeting Iran, comments widely interpreted as a response to warnings issued last week by Donald Trump, who said the United States would intervene if Iranian authorities continued killing peaceful protesters.

Speaking to military academy students in Tehran, Hatami said Iran’s armed forces were more prepared than ever and promised a «decisive response...

Fans of Stranger Things are divided over a viral theory claiming the show’s finale was not the real ending — and that a secret final episode could still be released.

The series concluded after five seasons on New Year’s Day, but a segment of viewers believe the closing epilogue was an illusion created by the villain Vecna, portrayed by Jamie Campbell Bower. The theory, dubbed Conformity Gate, has gained traction on TikTok, with fans scrutinising background details and alleged continuity errors for hidden clues.

Appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Campbell Bower appeared to dismiss the...